Blah, blah, blah
There is a discussion happening at Radical Congruency that has caught my eye. Many of the theological blogs that I link to have some connection to the Emerging Church. I consider myself a friend of the Emerging Church, even though many of their members support abolishing paid clergy positions like mine. I appreciate the way some of them delve into theology, and I disagree with them at various other points. I was once accused of not supporting Martin Luther's desire to reform the church because I opposed a guy on the intensity and method by which he attacked established churches. My thoughts were that if my opposition was met so forcefully, then this guy is quite ill-prepared to deal with those more fundamental and evangelical than me.

The discussion that's happening now is very similar to many theological debates that I've been a part of, and I frankly prefer to avoid them, simply because they devolve into this:
Visitor: "I notice you have some ideas about God. I will listen to them just enough to find something that doesn't jive with my understanding of the Bible, and then I'll accuse you of heresy and false teachings."
Friend: "I'm quite annoyed by your opposition, especially because I see your views as archaic and backward. My opinions are arrived at after much research and study, so therefore my views are intellectual, yours are stupid."
Outsider: "Hey guys, let's keep this civil, can't we all just water down our arguments so that we find some kernel that we all agree on? Then we'll walk away singing 'Bringing in the Sheaves' and we'll all be friends."
Visitor: "I have no interest in being friends with heathens like you. I have memorized more of the Bible better than you do, and therefore know God better than you do, so if you haven't submitted to my authority yet, then you deserve to go to hell."
Friend: "That's fine. I don't want to be in the same heaven as you anyway."

I generally take the role of the outsider in this one. Ideally we all see these patterns happening and avoid them, but they repeat themselves over and over.

   [ posted by William @ 9:49 AM ]